Codex Mythica
by marinevetdan
Summary: The myths and legends of the aztec people retold by Marine Vet Dan.
1. Introduction: The Book Of Myths

p class="p1"span class="s1" I/spanspan class="s2"n today's world myths and legends are not as important as they once were. Myths were used to explain the unknown and mysterious. Today we have science and tools to do this. Many people have heard of the Mesoamerican civilization known as the Aztecs, Well know for their unique diversity of mythological figures and stories, and this book will explains these incredible accounts of heroic figures and savage beasts, as well as the truth behind them. Find the amazing stories all here in the Aztec book of myths: Codex Mythica./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s2"Marine Vet Dan/span/p 


	2. Chapter 1: Battle Of The Five Suns

In the begining of time there was one god named Ometecihuatli, and one goddess named Omiecihuati. They gave birth to four children, two pairs of twins. The first pair was named Quetzocoatl and Tezcatlipoca, and the second was Tlaloc, who later became known as Huitzipipochtli, and Xipe Totec. Each child was a different color and could control a different element. Quetzocoatl was the white god of wind and lived in the west. Tezcatlipoca was black and lived in the north where he controlled fire. Tlaloc was to the south and had control of water which was no shock because he was the blue god. Xipe Totec was the red, earth god who could be found in the east. At this time there was no light so Tezcatlipoca being the fire element created a large ball of fire in the sky. Quetzocoatl was mad at Tezcatlipoca and decided to create something of his own. He created Humans out of bones diped in his own blood. He ordered them to craft a large wooden pole. Upon completion quetzocoatl knocked Tezcatlpoca's glowing orb out of the sky. This infuriated the god, who took the form of his spirit animal, an ocelot. Tezcatlipoca came across a mysterious stone called obsidian and he started practicing magic with it. He eventually crafted a magic mirror that led to another world. He decided to take revenge on Quetzocoatl. He summoned Quetzocoatl by saraficing his foot to a sea monster that Quetzocoatl had created. When Quezocoatl saw the scene he decided to take a closer look. Tezcatlipoca then banished quetzocoatl to the world behind his mirror to be forever trapped inside. Tlaloc being a peaceful god feared that now the sun was gone people would not survive. He created the new third sun. His element was water and he was wakened by dealing with fire so he called on his brother Xipe Totec to become the fourth sun. Tezcatlipoca seeing oppertunity to reclaim his spot started a war among the three remaining brothers. The brothers fought when Tezcatlipoca dropped his mirror, shattering it into four pieces. Each brother was trapped inside one shard. A magic enchantment that tezcalipoca had put on the mirror caused it to fuse back togather. The brothers being united decided on a new stratagy. They used the mirror as a sun and all brothers were now equal.


	3. Chapter 2: Mother Moon

Aztec's believe that each god has a one power. There were many gods and they were decended from humans according to legend. Two tribes people were chosen too create new gods after the battle to create the sun. They became Viracocha the god of earth and Mama Cocha the goddess of water. They had two children Mama Quilla and Inti. Mama Quilla became godess of the moon and so Inti became the god of the sun. They married and had four children Mama Ocello, Manco Capac, Pacha Capac, and Pacha Mama. Mama ocello became the god of knowledge, Manco Capac became the god of war, and Pacha Mama became the godess of agriculture and war. Pacha Capac was the youngest and last to choose he was unsure what he wanted to become so he became the apprentice of his grandfather Viracocha.


	4. Chapter 3: The Thousand Eyes Of Ahuizotl

Many aztec legends deal with water because of it's importence in aztec life. The Ahuizotl was a story to show the dangers of the rivers in the area. As the aztec population was being eradicated by the Spanish a Franciscan Missonary decided to record their legends and culture in a book called the Florentine Codex. It detailed many creature of the aztecs including the only known record of the fearsome Ahuizotl. It was a large spotted dog like animal that lurked in the water. It attreacted fisherman to the shores by makeing the noise of a crying baby. As the person searched for the source of the noise the ahuizotl used a log prehensile tail with a hand at the end to grab and drown it's pray. The body would be found three days later with eyes, teeth, and nails missing. The ahuizotl was conributed to five hundred deaths in the area leading to the story being called the beast that stole a thousand eyes. Since then other legends of cretures have sprug up like the Nurufilu, of fox serpent of Chile reported by the Aracanian people. The shasta people have another similer legend of a long tailed water dog. The aztecs also knew that it was not an otter, as the only other species of similar creature was the Neotropcal River Otter and it has it's own entry in the florentine codex under the name Aitzcuintli.


	5. Chapter 4: Tree Spirit

The aztecs were not the only tribe in the area and were often attacked by enemy tribes. This is how the legend of the tree spirit came about. Anani was a young aztec girl who loved to walk in the forest alone. One day she was captured by an enemy tribe. She was taken as a hostage and was to be sacrificed. In an escape attempt she killed a soldier with a rock and ran. She was later captured and sent for immediate death by burning. As the flames engulfed her body she began singing and a brillent white light appeared around her. She was transfored into a tree known as the Ciebo. In this part of the jungle, it is said that all the Ciebo trees have dark red flowers that brighten the area as a reminder of the blood spilt that day.


	6. Chapter 5: Troubled Waters

Almost all cultures have a flood myth and the aztecs are no different. Chalchiuhticue was the godess of rivers and lakes. She was summoned to rid the world of evil. She created a vast storm that flooded all rivers engulfing the land. Almost all people were distroyed but those who could prove their innocence were turned to fish and were able to survive the food.


	7. Chapter 6: The Other Eden

Death and afterlife is a myth that all civilizations have some explaination for. The azecs have a temple with a room called the Teotihlacan or wall of murals. One wall tells the myth of death. The god Tlaloc is the judge of the dead those who he believes died nobaly such as by disease of disaster are sent to the garden of paradise. Those who were exceptional in life are sent to the sun and return four years later as humming birds. Humming birds are a symbol of harmony like the brothers in the end of the myth of five suns. This make us wonder if the myths are connected for a reason. We may never know as most of the aztecs died and with them most of their cuture dissapeared, a sad end to a magnificent civilization.


	8. Epilogue: Who's Who?

Ahuizotl: A mythical spotted water creature with a long tail with a hand at it's base. It would drown it's victims and steal their eyes, nails, and teeth.

Quetzocoatl: The creator god that took the form of a feathered serpent and created humans from bones dipped in his blood. he was also the god of wind in mayan mythology.

Tezcatlipoca: One of the creator gods who took the form of an ocelot or jaguar. His name means smoking mirror.

Chalchiuhticue: The godess of rivers and lakes who created the great flood.

Anani: A girl who was captured by an enemy tribe and sentenced to be burned to death.

Xipe Totec: The creator god that was created the fourth sun. He was the god of agriculture in mayan mythology.

Tlaloc: The crator god and also the god of the dead he determines who will be sent to the Garden of Paradise.

Nurufilu: The fox serpent in the myths of the chilean araucanians.

Omiecihuatl: The female who created the first gods.

Ometecihuatli: the male who created the first gods.

Mama Quilla: The moon godess who married Inti.

Inti: The sun god who married Mama Quilla.

Viracocha: The earth godess who married Mama Cocha.

Mama Cocha: The sea godess who married Viracocha.

Mama Ocello: The knowledge godess and daughter of Mama Quilla.

Manco Capac: The war god and son of Mama Quilla.

Pacha Mama: The agriculture and disaster godess and daughter of Mama Quilla

Pacha Camac:The apprentice to the earth god Viracocha and son of Mama Quilla.


End file.
